The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-08-11
Wonderful Tricks of the Elder Her
man.

TLondon Globel
He seemed to defy the impossible. re-
member once on Change in Buenos Ayres
(where, by the way, he was an extensive and
most unlucky OPERATOR, at an hour when the
building was crowded with men, after a
short delay, on being challenged to exhibit
some tour de force, he lifted his hat and
displayed his own boot on his head-this, be
1t observed, without going near table, or,
as far as any one had noticed, seeking any
concealment for his bare foot or opportunity
to remove his hat. For special occasions he
spared no time, trouble or expense before
hand that some feat might wear the appear
ance Of complete spontaniety. Mention has
already been made in some of the newspa-
pers of his casting the sultan's watch into
the Bosphorus. That l did not witness, but
was in Constantinople when he dined with
the British minister and a number of other
gentlemen. In the course of the meal he
raised his glass, which had just been filled
with champagne, above his head, and attract
ing the attention of all present by crying,
"Oh, what beautiful winei' caused the
champagne to sink in the glass and vanish.
On being replenished, the same thing oc-
Cured; the third time the glass disappeared
also. Now, the glamor of this seemed pure
ly incidental to the situation, but happened
to know the forethought and energy which
had been expended over it, especially in con-
nection with the difficulties of ascertaining
the precise pattern of the champagne glasses
likely to be used and of matching them.
Speclalitles like this were planned for execu-
ton at all the courts where his skill was
manifested, and there is no doubt that his
personal influence, his adroitness and his ex-
traordinary familiarity with all tongues and
patois were invoked more than once by those
In authority for other ends He would never
suffer himself to be outdone by any other
necromancer; hence his possession Of appa-
ratus which lie despised. His goldfish bowls
were larger than those of other prestdigita-
teurs zone before me as l write, now serves
as suf1iclently capacious bath for family
OF 81 little Japanese snakes. Where they
worked with pigeons, he used fowls and
geese: and from the hat he would produce
not merely tin goblets, cardboard boxes and
compresslble balls, but real tea kettles and
lighted lamps. His singularly long. spare
body admitted of his dress coat Containing
two tiers Of ''load ding pockets" and afforded
great facilities for eoncealment When at
Cairo he was rivaled by troup of
Arab snake charmers, and in spite of
his detestati0n of serpentS, he forced
himself to initiate their maneuyres with
two cobras from which the fangs had
been taken. Such was-his hhsrrsr OF these
reptiles ho,%see,sef, that more than once he
Vas lmpeled to rush from the stage and
tear off his coat, where they were lying,
snugly stawed away in the profundes. He
designed an ingenious wand for transforma-
tlon into living snake. This was a hollow
tube painted black to resemble his usual
magic wand. A snake of suitable length
was caused to enter this, and a metal cap
was screwed firmly on as soon as its tail was
in. The head would now project about an
inch at the other end, over which rather
loosely fitting cap was placed, the whole
then looking exactly like an ordinary ebony
baton. To the screwed end fine silk cord
was attached, passing UP the sleeve, across
the chest. beneath the shirt front, and down
the other arm, where it was tied around the
wrist, the length being so adapted that It adj
mitted of the wand being held with both
hands when the arms were bent, but effect
ed its rapid withdrawal up the sleeve when
the opposite arm was extended. Zone of the
vanishing bird cages is managed on a SINH
lar princIpe'( The loose cap was to be re-
moved and palmed SAY with the left hand
the snakes head exposed, grasped and drawn
forward, the action of extension causing the
wand to disappear. The effect was marvel.
| GUS, but he never used ii in public, MOI
would he avail himself of the services of a
couple of young boa constructors which
l tanned for him at his own request. In
| South America, however, he sometimes
turned a cage full of brilliant-plumaged tan.
tagers into bloated swamp-toads, though he
didn't like them either.